Simon Williams

answers the Usual Questions

Simon Williams

Simon Williams wrote his first novel at the age of thirteen. According to him, "It was monumentally, breathtakingly bad."

Nevertheless he has persisted, and today he can say, "Writing is what I do. That is to say, it's the only thing of note that I do. Actually, whether or not it's of note to anyone other than myself is a matter of opinion. But I get enough encouraging reviews and sales of books to keep at it."

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

I think the main effect of interaction with fans has simply been to encourage me to continue writing, and to increase my rate of output. There's nothing like a rave review or even just an encouraging comment to help me kick on and get moving on whatever my current project happens to be. It's fair to say it's the comments, reviews and encouragement from fans that has helped me keep going more than anything else.

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

Some of the recent reviews of Oblivion's Forge, the first book in the Aona series, have been long and detailed and show a real enthusiasm from the reader. I'm impressed and humbled in equal measure by the effort that has gone into some of these reviews.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

I have probably half a dozen favourite authors but strangely none have particularly influenced me as such - but there are a few films that have, in a somewhat oblique way, influenced my writing, particularly with respect to the Aona books. The one that comes to mind is Blade Runner, the greatest film of all time in my opinion and a brilliant portrayal of what it means to be human (or not human).

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

I absolutely detest lifts so I wouldn't want to be trapped in one at all - and the same goes for a spaceship!

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

I refer you to my answer above!

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

I can't actually think of many things, but probably half a dozen or so favourite books.

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

Recognition, more than anything else. Although my work is never going to be mass-market in its appeal, already I can see that it appeals to the people it's meant to appeal to - intelligent readers who like to explore books that aren't afraid to be a bit different and cross the boundaries of genres.